Hydrotherapeutic apparatus



NOV. 15, L' GINSBURG HYDROTHERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed June '7, 1930 le@ zbarg, @y Las), Ll/F Patented Nov. 15, 1932 umTEDl HYDBOTHERAPEUTIC ArPAnATUS y Application 'led iJ'une y7', 1930. "Servial No.' 532,122.

,This invention ,has to. do `With :hydrotherapy, Vwhich is the :treatment of certain, diseases, -disorders and .ailments `by Vthe external application ,of .Water and other liquids.

" One of the principal objects oftheinventionv is v.to provide a novel `apparatus for. use in administering a hydrotherapeuticmassage by intermittent or spasmodic Vjet impact.

Other objects andadvantages ofthe inventionwill be apparentto those skilledin the art upona fullunderstanding ofthe methodV and the apparatus used in practicing the same. Y

One form of the .invention iskpresented 'i115 herein vfor the purpose of;.exempliication7 but it will of Course be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of embodiment inj other formscoming equally-within thefscope of the appended claims. .v i20 In the accompanying-drawing: f Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionthroughamassagemachine constructed in accordance with the invention; 1

Fig. 2 is another vertical vsection through 25 the machine, taken on the line2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionthrough the vhead of themachine, taken Yon the lineof Fig. 2;

"Fig, 4 is a vertical section through the cylinder on the front end of the,liead,takenon the line l4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary verticalLy section through the frontendof-the cylinder, corresponding to a portion of Fig. 1showing a curved jet plate substituted :forthe straight one. y

The machine shown in the drawing ,includes a pedestal 10 which is gmountedfon caster wheels 11 for movement from place-to place. Thepedestal carries a head 12 which is-both vertically and angularly adjustable and is provided with a cylinder 13. The cylinder is closed at its rear end bya lsolid-plate 14 and isclosed at its front endby aper- 5 forated plate 15 which is detachably-held in position by means of a screw-threaded clamping ring 16.

A piston `rod 17l extends intothecylinder 13 Hthroughya packing gland 18 .inlthe `rear `0 plate -14'and carriesa piston 19which slidably ffits within-theacylinder. The; piston l.is rigidly attachedtoetherod neer-thelfrontaend Of the latter and .iS fpefpherelly Sealed aganstfleakage by meanSftwo-Piston. rings 20. .A-llatvalvegplate 21 isshiftablymounted 55 on-the :front end f of @the vrod between-fthe {piston and Aa forwardly .spaced retaining -nut 22 I and is :splined 1 thereonlto prevent-f turning. The pistonissprovided-witb. a number/ofcoucuniferentiallyspaced.seetor-:shapedopenings 23.5211@ fthe `valve Plate, which is '..Slie'ht-ly smaller =in {diameter-,than .thev piston; iAis provided with `Cal.corresponding ,numberof .cir- 4cumferentially ,spaced Asector-shaped earsf21-v which are"slightlyvilargerinsize than'gthe 65 ,Qpen-ings23 andfare adapted .to .closeoisuch openings whenrthevalve .plateis shifted into Y a .position against the .piston. The [front 'fa-ce .f of the Avvalve 4 plateY A,is tpreferably neinforcedV @by .an .integrally :formed .Zanmilar 70 rib-25.

The .water which .is acted v4irpon .bytheniachine ,fiows into the Vcylinder 13 .through a EVport-26 in. the rearplate :1.4. `The .port."26-is .adapted tobe connectedby aAfleXiblehose ,to,.a Y vwater *faucet or other convenient supply .of vwater under pressure. Inoperatiomthepis- Tton 19 is reciprocated rapidly backgandfforth in the cylinder, .andthe valve .plate'2/1, which moves back and forth .with fthe .piston ,19, f$0

,changes its position withrespetto thepiston .at each stroke. "As V.the piston .movesfor- `wardly, the valve `:plate settles lbackragainst Vthe ,front .lace of Ythe pistQfn kand 'the openingsi23 therein, and,y asgthepiston moves 'rearwardlygthevalve plate draws awayfrom the pistonv andunoovers the openings. Asa result, the water which isconstantlyilowing into the cylinder through theport'26 passes 'forwardly through the openings 23 in the vpis- .90 ton on the rearward stroke df the latter-"and is trapped in Ifront of the valve-plate onf the next'forward movement 'of they piston :and forcibly ejectedit-hrough the openingsiin the :jet .plate x15, The apiston and `fthe piston plate7 in cooperation With the .jetpl-vate, cause gtheewaterto be shot-from the frontjendfofg-.the iCylinder intermittently f 0r .spasmedicallygi in .surges offinefsliarp spray. The impact of this spraylagainst the surface being treated is pulsating and vibratory in character and is not unlike an ordinary massage in some of its effects, although far superior to the latter from a medical standpoint.

The rear end of the piston rod 17 is rigidly l connected to a block 27 which is slidably supported in spaced ways 28, and the block is in turn pivotally connected at 29 toa rearwardly extending and laterally offset arm 30 which carries a circular strap 31. The strap 31is rotatably mounted on an eccentric 32 which is attached to a cross shaft 33. The ends of the shaft 33 are journaled in bearings 34 in the sides of a casing 35 which forms the rear portion of the head 12. The shaft 33 is rotated by a beveled gear 36 whichis attached to the same and meshes with another beveled gear 37 on the upper end of an upright shaft v 38. A gear 39 is splined to the shaft 38 be'- tween two arms 40 of a bearing bracket 41 and meshes with a small pinion 42 which is secured to the upper end of a countershaft 43. A gear 44 is attached to the lower end of the Vcountershaft 43 and meshes with a small pinion 45 which is mounted directly on the armature shaft of a variable speed electric' moto-r 46. kFrom the foregoing, it will be under stood that the motor 46 rotates the cross shaft 33 through the double reduction provided by the gears 45, 44, 42 and 39.

The head 12 of the machine'is tiltably supported in a U-shaped yoke 4? which is formed 0n the upper end of anupright tubularpost 48, the upper ends of the sides of the yoke 47 being apertured to receive trunnions 49 which are formed on the. sides of the casing 35 in concentric relation to the ends of the cross-shaft 33. The shaft 38 is arranged centrally within the post 48. By reason of this construction, thehead 12 may be ltilted into different `angular positions without disturbing the driving relation between the shafts 33 and 38. The head'12 may be held in any 'position of angular adjustment by means of a yserrated cam 50 which is pivotally attached Y toone of the sides of the yoke 47 at 51 and is provided with a handle. 52 by means of which the serrated portion of the cam may be wedgedinto engagement with a' projecting portion of one of the trunnions 49. The rear end of the casing 35 is preferably weighted 4in order to partially counterbalance the cyllinder 13.

, lar 53 has associated therewith a serrated cam 54 which is similar to the cam 50, and, when the cam 54, which is pivoted to the collar 'at j 55 and is operated by a handle 56, is turned in one direction, it will vgrip the post 48 through a-slot v57 inthe collarand will hold the post in any desired position of vertical ad'pistment.

he shape and character of the spray produced by the machine may be varied by changing the shape of the front plate 15 and also by changing the arrangement of the perforations in that plate. In order to obtain a rather widely diused spray, a curved plate 58 such as shown in Fig. 5 may be substituted for the straight plate 15. Many different effects can also be produced by changing the size of the perforations in the plate.

vTheV frequency of the impacts may be increased or decreased by speeding up or slowing down the motor, through a suitable manually-operated rheostat, while the 'sharpness of the impacts canbe increased or decreased rear plate into the cylinder,a piston rigidly lattached to the rod, 'a valve plate slidably mounted on the rod in front of the piston for limited movement toward and away from the latter, and means for rapidly reciprocating the rod in the cylinder, said piston being provided with a number of circumferent-ially spaced sector-shaped openings, and said valve plate being provided with a corresponding ynumber ofl circumferentially i spaced sector-shaped portions which 'are adapted to cover the openings in the piston when the latter is moved forwardly the cylinder by the rod.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, 'a cylinder, a perforated plate at the front end ofthe cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a valve on the piston and positioned between the latter andsaid plate and which opens when the pistonis moved rearwardly land closes when the piston is moved forwardly, a water inlet in the cylinder behind the piston, an electric motor, and a power-transmitting connectionV between the motor and the piston for rapidlyreciprocating the latter in the cylinder, whereby to cause the water entering the cylinder to be ejected spasmodically therefrom in a fine forcibly surgin g spray.

3. Hydrotherapeutic apparatus, including Va support, an angularly adjustable head pivotally mounted m proximity to its rear end on said support, a nozzle element fixed to the forward end of said head and bodily movable with the latter, reciprocatory ,means within the nozzle element for forcibly ejecting A water from the latter ,in a pulsating spray, Ian electric motor mounted on the support and connected flexibly with said means for rapidly operating the same, and readily rele'asable means for securing the head rigidly with respect to the support in any one of several angularly disposed positions.

4. In a hydrotherapeutic apparatus, 'a tubular nozzle element having a foraminous forward end and a closed rea-r end, formed with an axial opening and an opening adjacent the latter, means communicating with said adjacent opening for supplying water to said element at the rear thereof, a reciprocatory element including 'an apertured valve controlled piston operating in said nozzle element and further including a piston rod extending rearwardly through said axial opening, and motor driven means for rapidly reciprocating said reciprocatory element to produce a. periodically interrupted impact jet of water having a vibratory effect upon the surface against which directed.

5. In a hydrotherapeutic apparatus, a tubular nozzle element having a foraminous forward end and a closed re'ar end, formed with an axial opening and an opening adjacent the latter, means communicating with said adjacent opening Vfor supplying water to said element at the rear thereof, a reciprocatory element including 'an apertured valve controlled piston operating in said nozzle element and further including a piston rod extending rearwardly through said axial opening, motor driven means for rapidly reciproeating said reciprocatory element to produce a periodically interrupted impact jet of water having a vibratory effect upon the surface against which directed, a pedestal, a support extended from the pedestal, a hollow head closed at one end and open at its other end, and means for coupling the rear end of the nozzle element in the open end of said head, said head, support and pedestal enclosing said motor driven means.

6. In a hydrotherapeutic apparatus, a tubular nozzle element having a foraminous forward end and a closed rear end, formed with an axial opening and an opening adjacent the latter, means communicating with said adjacent opening for supplying Water to said element at the rear thereof, a reciprocatory element including an apertured valve controlled piston operating in said nozzle element and further including a piston rod extending rearwardly through said axial opening, motor driven means for rapidly reciprocating said reciprocatory element to produce a periodically interrupted impact jet of water having a vibratory effect upon the surface against which directed, a pedestal, a support extended from the pedestal, a hollow head closed at one end and open at its other end, means for coupling the rear end of the nozzle element in the open end of said head, said head, support and pedestal enclosing said motor driven means, said head being angularly adjustable, and said head and support having coacting means for releasably holding the head in its adjusted position.

7. In a hydrotherapeutic apparatus, a 'tubular nozzle.element having a foraminous forward end and a closed rear end, formed with an axial opening and an opening adjacent the latter, means communicating with said adjacent opening for supplying water to said element at the rear thereof, a reciprocatory element including an apertured valve controlled piston operating in said nozzle element and further including a piston rod extending rearwardly through said axial opening, motor driven means for rapidly reciprocating said reciprocatory element to produce a periodically interrupted impact jet of water having a vibratory effect upon the surface against which directed, a pedestal, a support extended from the pedestal, a hollow head closed at one end and open at its other end, means for coupling of the nozzle element in the open end of said head, said head, support and pedestal enclosing said motor driven means, said support being vertically adjustable, and said support and pedestal having coacting means for releasably holding the .support in its adjusted position.

8. In a hydrotherapeutic apparatus, a tubular nozzle element having a foraminous forward end and a closed rear end, formed with an axial opening and an opening adjacent the latter, means communicating with said adjacent opening for supplying water to said element at the rear thereof, a reciprocatory element including an apertured valve controlled piston operating in said nozzle element and further including a piston rod extending rearwardly through said axial opening, motor drivenmeans for rapidly reciprocating said reciprocatory element to produce a periodically interrupted impact jet of water having a vibratory effect upon the surface against which directed, a pedestal, a support extended from the pedestal, a ho-llow head closed at one end and open at its other end, means for coupling the rear end of the nozzle element in the open end of said head, said head, support and pedestal enclosing said motor driven means, said head being angularly adjustable, said head and support having coacting means for releasably holding the head in its adjusted position, sai-d support being vertically adjustable, and said support and pedestal having coacting means foi` releasably holding the support in its adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LEO GINSBUR-G.

the rear end 

